Hair setting assembly



March 22, 1960 J. H, RICHMOND 2,929,385

HAIR SETTING ASSEMBLY Filed June 16, 1958 j gzzg HAIR SETTING ASSEMBLY .ioy H. Richmond, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application June 16, 1958, Serial No. 742,108

4 Claims. (Cl. 132-45) The present invention relates to hair setting assemblies, and it relates more particularly to an improved hair setter for obtaining coifr'ures of the page boy type.

The page boy coitfure has long been a favorite type of womens hair style, however, the factors which have discouraged the adoption by many women of this attractive hair style in the past have been the difliculties in setting the hair in this style when attempted at home, and the time and expense involved when professional help is used.

The popularity of the page boy coiffure, and the previous difliculties in obtaining such a coifiure, as outlined above, have led to the provision of appliances in the prior art for effectuating this coiifure in a relatively simple manner and without the need for the assistance of a professional hairdresser.

One prior art appliance of the general type referred to above, for example, the appliance shown in my prior Patent No. 2,654,374, uses a first generally U-shaped solid bar member of a generally rounded cross section. This bar member is of a resilient nature, and it is adapted to extend around the back of the neck of the user. A pair of small connecting plates are pivotally mounted at the respective ends of the U-shaped member in the prior art appliance of my patent, and a second U-shaped bar memher is pivotally mounted on the plates. in addition, a strap is secured at its ends to the plates and this strap surrounds the top of the users head to hold the device in place.

The prior art appliances, of the type under discussion, have been generally satisfactory in fulfilling their intended purpose. However, these prior art devices do contain certain inherent limitations with respect to the cost at which they can be produced economically, with respect to the ease and comfort with which they can be applied to the many different types of head sizes and shapes, and with respect to the ease with which they can conveniently be carried in a small receptacle such as a handbag. Further, the appliance of my prior patent was somewhat uncomfortable when worn in use, particularly because of the inclusion of the solid bar member and the connective plates. 7

The present invention provides an improved hairdressing assembly for the page boy hair style, or the like, in which the limitations of the prior art devices, as outlined above, are successfully obviated.

The assembly of the present invention uses a relatively large inflated cushion member which has a generally arcuate configuration and a generally circular cross section. This cushion member is adapted to engage the nape of the neck of the user with its two end portions extending up over the users ears. The cushion member is preferably composed of a thin-walled inflated element of rubber-like or plastic material, which permits the same to be easily adjusted to the contour and size of the head of the user, and without the discomfort in use produced by the solid bar member of the appliance of my prior patent.

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2,929,385 Patented Mar. 22, 1960 ice The inflated cushion member preferably is formed of a pair of strips of a plastic material, the strips being disposed in facing relationship with one another and heat sealed along their respective edges and at their end portions.

A distinct flange may be formed by the sealed edges of the strips, with this flange extending along the length of the cushion member and facing outwardly from the cushion when the cushion member is in place around the neck of the user. This outer flange may be conveniently used as a scissor guide for assisting in cutting the hair of the user prior to its being shaped into the page boy coifiure, and for assuring that the hair will be cut to a uniform length.

The cushion member maybe inflated at the factory and permanently sealed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. Alternately, and as will be described, a suitable valve mechanism may be provided to enable the cushion member to be inflated or deflated at will. This latter embodiment is a distinct convenience when it is desired to carry the appliance of the present invention in a handbag, or the like; it being merely necessary to deflate the cushion member to reduce the size of the assembly to almost negligible dimensions for storage in the handbag. In this embodiment of the invention, the once deflated cushion member can be easily inflated by the user when it is once again desired to use the appliance.

The additional elements of the assembly are conveniently attached to the end portions of the arcuate cushion member by small headed removable pivot pins. These pins extend through therespective end portions of the cushion member and are supported on these portions... This enables the necessary components of the as:

sembly to be reduced to a minimum and lowers manufacturing cost. This, of course, permits the units to be sold at a relatively low price.

A solid, arcuate-shaped strap is secured at its ends to the pivot pins referred to above, and this strap may be turned down on the hair of the user to form a page boy indentation adjacent the positioned inflated arcuate cushion member.

A pair of flexible straps may also be secured to the pivot pins, and these latter straps are intended to extend up over the crown of' the head of the user to hold the assembly in place. The straps are releasably held together, for example, by a button in a manner to provide for adjustable lengths so that different head sizes and shapes may be fitted. These straps, like other components of the appliance of this invention, are preferably formed of a suitable plastic, which reduces the weight of the appliance and further renders the same easy to clean.

A prime object of the invention is, therefore, to provide an improved page boy hair setting assembly which is light in weight, extremely comfortable to use and which is immediately adjustable to any type of head contour or size. Another important object is to provide such an improved assembly that uses a minimum of component parts, which can be economically manufactured, and which therefore can be marketed at a relatively low price. A still further object is to provide such an improved hair setting assembly that can be conveniently carried in a small receptacle such as a handbag, or the like.

The improved hair setting assembly of the invention is extremely simple to use. The user, for example, first shampoos her hair and towel dries it, leaving the hair fairly damp. The assembly of the invention is then slipped over the head with the arcuate inflatable cushion member extending around the back of the neck and with all the straps to the front and unfastened. The hair at the top of the head may-now be styled in any desired 'aeeases The arcuate cushion member is then adjusted snugly against the nape of the neck with its end portions extending under the hair over the ears of the user. The flexible straps are nowfastened together over the crown of the head at the proper length. 7 This fastening mayconveniently be achieved by means of a button which extends through apertures in the flexible straps. Thehair is now combed down over the positioned arcuate cushion member and spread evenly over that member. Then the solid strap is pivotally moved downwardly on the hair to form the desired page boy indention adjacent the cushion member. a

A hair net is now placed over the head so that it fits snugly around and under the cushion member to hold the hair in place. The hairis dried and the assembly then removed. The hair may now be brushed out.

As noted above, the outer flange of the inflatable arouate cushion member can be used as a scissor guide during the above operations when it is desired to cut the hair to a uniform length, prior to forming it into'the page boy coiffure.

The invention in its various aspects will be better understood and appreciated by a consideration of the following description of particular embodiments, when this description is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a pictorial diagrammatic view of the'improved hair styling assembly of the invention positioned on the head of a user;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the hair styling assembly of one embodiment of the invention, this view showing the various elements which make up the assembly of the invention and the mannerin which these elements are pivoted together;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the assembly of the invention, showing the assembly positioned on the neck of a user, and illustrating the manner in which the users hair is shaped into the desired page boy con- .member of one particular embodiment and which includes a valve mechanism for permitting the inflatable cushion member to be inflated or deflated at will;

Figures 6 and 7 are fragmentary cross-sectional views,

. substantially on the line 6-6 of Figure 5, to show the action of the valve mechanism; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the assembly illustrating the pad-like elements formed at the opposite ends of the cushion member.

The appliance of the present invention, referring now to the drawing and particularly Figure 2 thereof, includes an inflatable cushion member 10. This cushion member is preferably formed of a pair of soft, plastic strips 12 and 14 which are disposed in facing relationship. These strips are heat sealed in known manner along their respective edges 16 and 18 and at the end portions 19 thereof to form apad element at each end of the cushion member.

The inflatable cushion member is adapted upon being inflated to have a generally arcuate configuration and a generally circular cross section. This cross section, for example, may have a diameter of the order of one and a half inch to properly accommodate the page boy hair style presently preferred.

The sealed edges 16 and 18 of the plastic strips 12 and 14 form flanges which extend along the length of the cushion member 10, and at least the outer flange 18 is formed to extend outwardly an appreciable distance to provide a scissor guide. This enables the hair of the user to be conveniently cut to a uniform length, merely by using the flange 18 as a guide for the scrissors.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3, for example, the ihflated cushion member 10 is adapted to snuglyengage the nape of the neck of the user, with its end portion extending under the hair and up over the ears of the user. The cushion member 10 is so positioned that when it is in place the hair of the user may be combed down over its outer surface, as more clearly shown in Figure 3. This serves to provide the desired page boy effect and shaped roll for the hair.

A pair of pivot pin members 20 and.22 are mounted in the respective end portions 19 of the cushion member it which aresealed together as mentioned above to form a pad-like element, and the pivot pins 20 and 22 extend through the pad-like elements formed by these end portions. v

A pair of flexible strap members 24 and 26 are attached to respective ones of the pivot members, and these flexible strap members are intended to extend up over and engage the crown of the head of the user, as shown in Figure vl. As illustrated, the flexible strap members have a plurality of apertures, and a button 28 is shaped to extend through selected apertures releasably to hold the strap members 24 and 26 together at lengths that may be adjustable to the diflierent head sizes and shapes. These straps serve to hold the assembly in place on the head of the user with the cushion member 10 snugly engaging the nape of the neck of the user.

A solid strap 30 of generally arcuate configuration is secured at its ends to respective ones of the pivot pin members 20 and 22. This solid strap is intended to be turned down on the hair of the user to the position show in Figures 1 and 3. and generally adjacent the cushion it). This serves to form the desired page boy indentation in the users hair.

As noted above, the inflatable cushion member 10 may be permanently inflated at the factory and sealed. Alternately, it may contain a suitable valve mechanism to permit the cushion to be inflated or deflated at will. Such a valve mechanism is shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7 depicting an alternate form of the appliance. The valve mechanism includes an apertured disk 32 which has a central aperture 34 extending therethrough. The peripheral rim or edge portion of the disk is permanently sealed to the outer surface of the cushion member 10 preferably at the upper side of the same. The cushion member hasan aperture 36 formed in it to be normally covered by the seal 32. The aperture 36 is out of axial alignment with the aperture 34 of the disk as clearly shownin Figures 6 and 7.

When it is desired to inflate the cushion member, air under pressure is introduced, as by blowing, through the aperture 34. This forces the wall of the cushion member 10 away from the underside of the disk 32 and permits air to enter the interior of the cushion member through the aperture 36. When the air pressure is removed from the aperture 34, however, the resulting air pressure inside the cushion 10 forces its wall against the seal 32 and effectively closes the aperture 36 so that the air cannot escape. The air can be removed from the interior of the cushion member merely by inserting a suitable small rod-likev member into the aperture 34 to move the wall of the cushion 10 away from the underside of the seal 32.

Figure 6 illustrates the condition of the valve mechanism when air is being introduced into the interior of the cushion member, and Figure 7 illustrates the sealing condition of the seal 32 when the introducing air pressure is removed.

As mentioned previously above, in using the assembly of the invention, the user first washes her hair and towel ries it, leaving the hair fairly clamp. The applicance of the present invention is then slipped over the head with the inflated arcuate cushion member 10 extending around the back of the neck, and with the strap 30 to the front and down over the face of the user, the straps 24 and 26 being unfasteued and disposed at the side of the head.

The hair at the top of the head may now be styled to any desired curls, or parted, or set in any other configuration. The cushion member is then adjusted snugly against the nape of the neck, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, with its end portions extending under the hair and up over the ears of user. The flexible straps 24 and 26 are now fastened together by the button 28 over the crown of the head and at the proper length to hold the assembly in place in its desired position.

The hair of the user is then combed down over the positioned arcuate cushion member 10, with the hair being spread evenly over the surface of that member. After the hair is combed over the cushion member, the solid trap 30 is turned down on the hair, as shown more clearly in Figure 3, to form the page boy identation above the roll formed by the cushion member.

As previously described, a hair net is now placed over the head so that it fits snugly around the cushion member 10 and under that member to hold the hair in place. After the hair is dry, the appliance can be removed, and the hair may now be brushed out.

The present invention provides, as now seen, an improved light weight page boy hair setting appliance which is extremely comfortable to use and which is easily adjustable to any head contour and size. The improved appliance of the invention uses a minimum of component parts which can be economically manufactured, and the assembly can be marketed at a relatively low price. Moreover, the invention is susceptible to being deflated so that its dimensions can be reduced to enable the assembly to be carried in a small receptacle such as a handbag or the like. As all components of the appliance are preferably formed of a plastic material it is not afiected by moisture and can be easily cleaned.

I claim:

1. In a hair setting device for providing a page boy coifiure which comprises a U-shaped member to fit around the back of the users head and includes at least one 6 terial forming pad-like elements at the opposite ends of the cushion member for pivotally supporting said strap member, said pair of straps also forming an outwardly facing junction therebetween which longitudinally extends along the length of said cushion member to serve as a guide for assistance in cutting the hair.

3. In a hair setting assembly for providing a page boy coiffure and the like, the combination including, a U-shaped member which fits around the back of the users head, said member being a light weight, inflated, hollow, thin-walled cushion member of substantially circular cross-sectional configuration and high flexibility to conform to the configuration of the users head, said U-shaped member comprising a pair of soft pliant straps of flexible material, the opposite ends of one of said pair of soft pliant straps being aligned in a face-to-face manner with the opposite ends of the other one of said pair of soft pliant straps to form two pad-like pivotal support elements at the opposite ends of said U-shaped cushion member, and at least one additional strap of generally arcuate configuration pivotally mounted on said pad-like elements at the opposite ends of said U-shaped cushion member and adapted when the U-shaped cushion member is positioned around the back of the users head to be turned down on the hair of the user adjacent the positioned U-shaped cushion member to form a page boy indentation in the hair of the user.

4. In a hair setting assembly for providing a page boy coifiure and the like, the combination including, a U-shaped member which fits around the back of the users head, said member being a light weight, inflated, hollow, thin walled cushion member of substantially circular cross-sectional configuration and high flexibility to strap connected to the ends of the U-shaped member, the

improvement which consists in the U-shaped member being a light weight, inflated, hollow thin-walled plastic cushion member of substantially circular cross-sectional configuration and of high flexibility to conform to the configuration of the users head, said cushion member comprising a pair of soft pliant straps of flexible material forming an outwardly facing longitudinal flange extending along the length of the U-shaped cushion member to serve as a scissors guide for assistance in cutting the hair, the opposite ends of said straps forming pad-like elements for'pivotally supporting said strap.

2. In a hair setting device for providing a page boy coifiure which comprises a U-shaped member to fit around the back of the users head and including a flexible member connected to the ends of the U-shaped member and being adapted to engage the crown of the head of the user, and a strap member of generally arcuate configuration pivotally connected to the U-shaped member and adapted to be turned down on the hair of the user adjacent the U-shaped member to form a page boy indentation in the hair; the improvement which consists in the U-shaped member being a light weight, inflated, hollow, thin-walled cushion member of substantially circular cross-sectional configuration and of high flexibility to conform to the configuration of the users head, said cushion member comprising a pair of soft pliant straps of flexible maconform to the configuration of the users head, said U shaped member comprising a pair of soft pliant straps of flexible material, the opposite ends of one of said pair of soft pliant straps being aligned in a. face-to-face manner with the opposite end of the other end of said pair of soft pliant straps to form two pad-like pivotal support elements at the opposite ends of said U-shaped cushion member, at least one additional strap of generally arcuate configuration, means pivotally mounting the ends of said additional strap to the pad-like elements at the corresponding ends of said U-shaped cushion member, said pivotal mounting means comprising a pair of pivotal members, each mounted in one of the pad-like members and pivotally receiving the corresponding end of said additional strap, whereby said additional strap can be turned down on the hair of the user adjacent the positioned U-shaped cushion member to form a page boy indentation in the hair of the user when said U-shaped member is positioned around the back of the users head, and a pair of flexible members respectively attached to said pair of pivotal members for engaging the crown of the head of the user to maintain said U-shaped cushion member and said additional strap in position on the head of the user.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS, 1,054,451 Sauer Feb. 25, 1913 2,033,802 Abram Mar. 10, 1936 2,103,886 Barnes Dec. 28, 1937 2,654,374 Richmond Oct. 6, 1953 

